[Parm]

Guys, I know DesertFox's credible credentials and he has a reputation to stand by, so please admire the guy who after criticizing the Thar so much, ended up buying it.

It take guts to do it and not foolishness!

Lets be positive and see and learn what shahid will be doing on his Thar to make it one of the best Indian Made OTR vehicle in India.

I think if we see all the Thar bashing threads, most critical comments have been made by non owners of Thar compared to owners of Thar.

I myself was pretty much waiting for it and wanted to buy it, but after my test drive in NOIDA with Koncept Motors sales man who told me about the special 4x4 Engine and 4x4 steering of Thar, I decided not to buy it, since I had never driven a 4x4 Engine and 4x4 steering vehicle!

Anyway coming back to Shahid, im sure he will be a source of wealth of knowledge about OTR and how to best customize the Thar.

PaRm

[kicksperliter]

This is one thread I have been following from the start. I have been a silent reader about several view, likes and dislikes. Lot's been said about this vehicle.

I did purchase this vehicle for an upgrade to my totally offroad modified MM540. I was simply pleased with this vehicle.

Now, you all would have to believe, I did 8000kms trip from Bangalore to Leh in my THAR CRDe just a month back. I had NO issues with the vehicle except for the canopy clips on the driver side door being ripped off at certain high speeds.

The THAR did phenomenally well whatever conditions and terrains it was put through.

My overall expenditure on the service for and post this trip was little over INR.8000/- and yes I agree the Canopy clips are still unavailable with Mahindra.

I have not had any issue with it's braking so far.

I have done 17000kms on the ODO, and has been my daily workhorse commuting me to work every day covering close to 50 plus km's.

AC works good. It chills sometimes.

YES, the quality offered is shoddy and not upto the market standards for the price bracket it's been offered.

But, who care when you are a Jeeper.

Many Offroading events attended and have been lucky with no expenses. Its been pushed to limits during offroading events, with a mindset that I would be spending time and money post events at Mahindra service centres, but luckily I haven't.

Overall, good offroad and highway cruiser available in the current market and it's worth every penny if utilized in a right manner.

It's just my experience as an owner.

Link to my experience of Thar during my trip.

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/travel...-thar-4x4.html

[Sudarshan]

Originally Posted by fazalaliadil

Dear Members,

Been following this thread since posted.====


Regards,

Originally Posted by Shubhendra

Agree with Fazal Ji.====

Shubhendra Singh

Originally Posted by Parm

Guys, I know DesertFox's credible credentials and ===

PaRm

Fazal saab , Shubhendra & Param ji

I think you are right.

Time to act sensibly.
I think D_F is not going to clarify here anymore, may be a new thread with Buying & ownership experience will be there.

Till then I will rest in peace

Peace to all

Sudarshan

[vroom666]

Quoting from another thread ...

Originally Posted by desertfox

... Dont have the time otherwise I would have gone and got my Thar today. Maybe tomorrow or day after or ask the Sterling Motors guys to send it home.

So DesertFox - Did you finally manage to get the Thar home or still waiting for them to send it home? I am sure you will have at least a little bit of excitement to get a new vehicle?

[desertfox]

Bought Thar in the absence of any other suitable alternative.

But it is not perfect, came with a number of niggles, and not the perfect off roader but suitable for my present mild off roading jaunts.

One of the major purchase decision factors were the soft top, or the Hyderabad Hard top with three opening ports.

As for the brakes, I found it to be OK no problems here, but I am used to driving a Mahindra Bolero, it may seem more radical to people who shifted to it after driving a Japanese car or hyundai. Or maybe there have been some improvements. never really got down to open the hood and check out the booster drum.

Dear Sudarshan Ji - what do I need to clarify ? You are a far more hands on DIY guy who knows a lot more about Automobile mechanics than I can hope to learn in the rest of my life.

This CRDe THAR is just a vehicle to have around, take it to a few Jungle trips ( If GD1418 agrees to sit in it then Sariska too ) it is not and will never be a capable off roader and I will not be able to modify it to be an off roader.

Then now that Rs. 816,000 have been spent on it, I am not really too keen to bash it up on these hard mud and rocky Aravalli trails around Gurgaon. The Acacia thorns will rip open the canopy. If there were some sand tracks or scenic countryside like Western India or Coorg then it would have been a different story.

My offroading pattern is 98 % drive on tarmac / hard surface, 2 % engage 4x4 inside the elephant grass or slush, this vehicle will do I guess.

[Sudarshan]

Originally Posted by desertfox

Dear Sudarshan Ji - what do I need to clarify ? You are a far more hands on DIY guy who knows a lot more about Automobile mechanics than I can hope to learn in the rest of my life.

Ohh , it was not for some DIY, but for the following posts in original, as people have quoted your own words & sought clarifications about the Tall claims you have made, do check them & try to clarify.

I have Quoted those exact posts for your convenience.

Originally Posted by ijeet

I don't understand why members think its mud slinging. he gave his credntials with a pretty strong worded line

Its just like what we people deal with in our daily lives when somebody comes throwing names and saying "You know whos my daddy" I just asked him please tell us who is your daddy..

Originally Posted by manveet

Like others have asked before, please share more info on this. This is really awesome stuff so you can understand why everyone is really curious.



Please clarify if you were a driver for Toyota, or for Al Futtaim Motors, the UAE Dealers for Toyota.



Please clarify if you were a designer for the tire, or a driver for the design team, wherein your job was to drive the tire for certain miles in certain conditions and then return the tire to the design team for analysis. Again, did Al Futtaim Motors, the Toyota dealership in UAE, have anything to do with this prestigious assignment?



Please clarify if any of these Clubs or adventures were in anyway supported, or organized, or sponsored by Al Futtaim Motors, Toyota.

Thanks.

Originally Posted by Sudarshan

Is there anything more to say than yes to what you are pointing out ?




The "Reason" is the sudden U turn, after what you have rightly mentioned as " he Bashed ". He did the bashing " Properly " , sometimes up-to a level of raising alarm, such as to report the posts. It was very personal sometimes.

This sudden U turn & the subsequent "Lame", (yes very lame) reasoning for that, gave rise to the thing called SUSPICION .

I have not seen it happen here before, vary rare, the one case I saw was a theft of pics & BHP banned the user a/c.

But Beyond that 'U turn' its 'Lame reasoning' or the 'suspicion', I think he still has a fair chance to prove the suspicion thing ALL WRONG . In that case I will be the first person to Apologize for raising a 'Doubt', & I mean it. (well I was the one who raised it first)

And beyond all this, is asking questions is a wrong thing ? Truth shall stand & nothing else. Answers to the questions may even bring in to light, the reason behind the whole thread.

Sudarshan

I dont go by rumors, I seek truth from the horses mouth & if that does not come, well rumors are finally rumors

In short this is your credibility test, please prove your own words. (if you really know what you are saying) .

Here they are for your convenience

Originally Posted by desertfox
I am shahid Ahmad. Age 45

Off road adventure experience on 4 continents.
3 times winner of 1000 dunes desert rally.
team toyota driver
285,000 km driven off road and 1900 off road trips till date. Will drive more.
Designer of Toyo - Open Country OP/DH tyre for landcruisers
Chief Marshal - Dubai Desert Club
Chief Marshal - Gulf News fun drive for 12 years
Route Director & Chief Marshal - Great Escape Desert Adventure, Dubai sponsored by Toyota, Dunlop Tyres and Total Lubricants.

If I talk I know what I am saying

Sudarshan

[desertfox]

Clarification on rallies and all. Yes will post it, but doesnt look good . Still I will put it on a proper thread.

A lot of the stories are already posted, FJ cruiser story, toyo tyre account.

Remember in the era post 2004 there were no digital cameras, i will have to take pictures of old photographs and post. But will do it for sure need to find time for all this.

[Samurai]

Originally Posted by desertfox

Remember in the era post 2004 there were no digital cameras, i will have to take pictures of old photographs and post. But will do it for sure need to find time for all this.

Hmm, digital cameras became common enough by 2000. I bought my first digital P&S in 2001, next one in 2003.

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/gadget...tml#post130630

[Sudarshan]

Originally Posted by desertfox

Clarification on rallies and all. Yes will post it, but doesnt look good . Still I will put it on a proper thread.

A lot of the stories are already posted, FJ cruiser story, toyo tyre account.

Remember in the era post 2004 there were no digital cameras, i will have to take pictures of old photographs and post. But will do it for sure need to find time for all this.

Ohh come on, you were never even a winner in the 1000 Dunes desert Rally, were you? really? Sir?
Let go the winning of it for three times even .

With all due respect, had you not posted those Tall claims in the first place. It could have been without that, those were completely OT. And now it has all started looking murkier & darker, sad.

Apology & Regret if I sound Untrue or Rude, I can only take things as they really are. Only knowledge/experience can impress me. Track record certainly holds value, but other things & statements do need to support that, to have some value & credibility.

Sudarshan

P. S. ;-Dear BHP Support, please take suitable decision with this post . If it gets deleted I do not have any objection.

[arunu]

Shahid Bhai,

I have been following this thread since the beginning and it makes a very interesting and thought provoking read.

As others have mentioned, its surprising as to how a person's preferences/priorities/ likes/dislikes (strong ones ) can change over a period of time!!!

Anyways, awaiting for further details & photos w.r.t your Dubai off road rally's etc as promised in earlier posts.

Also, its considerable time since you bought the Thar and your ownership thread is due now. We all are eagerly awaiting your first hand experience with the Thar and what modifications you have / will be carrying out to make Thar better. Pl. respond.

[desertfox]

There is an ownership thread but it is in assembly line section.
As for other stuff, converting pictures writing reports well there are a lot of interesting stories will come slowly.

There are many episodes from your country as well when we went to Wadi Bani Khalid, Sur, Wathba sands and Salalah on so many trips. My interactions with Bahwan auto, a rally in Buraimi with Buraimi hotel as base camp.

As for the Thar - yes I have it, I drive it as well but it is not a good car and everything I have mentioned above in this thread stands true.
In terms of vehicle - It has reached Wrangler YJ levels with crudeness and flaws a long way to go.
4x4 system - inadequate and unreliable.
Body - with these dragging footboard runners, low number plate, low mounted exaust chamber it is a recipe for disaster off road.
It is not a reliable off roader at all but a sort of soft roader.
I bought one becasue TINA - but it holds no great excitement or anything of the sort for me.

[Abhimanyu88]

Originally Posted by manveet

As for target profiling - I am 32 years old, married, no kids, walk to office since it is near and wanted a car just for late night drives (now am regular at OTR's) My other car is a Mercedes ML350 and the Getz will shortly be replaced by a Polo 1.2 TSi. I have spent close to 2L+ already on the Thar and have visibility of another 20-30k.

So I don't know whether I am the typical customer or not but I love my Thar because of which someone like me got "introduced to Jeeping" and OTR's which otherwise would never have happened. Being fairly engineering savvy I understand the shortcomings of the Thar as an offroader, so for the rundown Jeep that I will be buying and building a few years down - I can only thank Mahindra that they launched the Thar.

Whenever you are in Delhi, I invite you to ride with me. I will take you out to the poshest markets in South Delhi where people don't even blink at the sight of Merc's, Audi's, and Beemers. And the same people will not only stop and stare, but walk up to me and compliment me on the vehicle. Conversations with strangers on the Jeep is an almost everyday occurrence - but yes, could be because of the way I have modified it - but a major reason is the fact that it IS a Jeep afterall.

Having said that - I like the humor in your post. As for me, I don't have a woofer or amp as yet - just a pair of components. But I thinking of going in for a small amp and woofer (for better SQ) since my usage has far exceeded what I had initially planned. I don't listen to disco and cannot remember the last time I bought ice-cream from an ice-cream-wallah.



Bhai, you are NOT the target segment for the Thar. You never were. And you are mistaken if you think a Jeep Wrangler will serve your purpose. It never will either.

Just build your own Jeep. That's what true Jeepers do, isn't it . Like I will, one day.

I completely agree with Manveet Sir here, i dont get as many looks in an E class with an AMG kit, but I have been stopped many times when Ive been driving a Jeep, it is a true head turner. And yes even I dont have a na amp or a woofer and drive it to work everyday rather than an ice-cream valah. Hilarious

[DHABHAR.BEHRAM]

Originally Posted by Abhimanyu88

I completely agree with Manveet Sir here, I dont get as many looks in an E class with an AMG kit, but I have been stopped many times when Ive been driving a Jeep, it is a true head turner. And yes even I dont have an amplifier or a woofer and drive it to work everyday rather than an ice-creamwallah. Hilarious

Dear Abhimanyu88, Manveet Paaji and all - this WONDERFUL comment starts my new year on a new high! I just cannot forget the words of these comments below, which I used to try and hammer down into the ears and minds of just about everybody "who mattered", somehow, somewhere, hoping for a positive response, which finally saw light of day! The vehicle has succeeded on its own merit!

"Sir, it will turn heads wherever it goes!"
"Sir, the Merc and Beemer guys will acknowledge!"
"Sir, get out of it in the foyer of a 5 star hotel, you will get more attention than the guys in Mercs and Beemers!"
"Sir, the Merc and Beemer guys will buy"!
"Sir, we have the advantage of having the "timeless shape" with us. The 7 slat grille shape is forever and ever and ever and ever"!
"Sir, it must look like Jeep. Inside we can do whatever we want"!
"Sir, we must launch with AC only, it is going to be India's first soft top with a factory fitted AC. Sir, India is either hot or hotter"!
"Sir, 4WD lifestyle segment is becoming mainstream"! (today it has become mainstream)"!

Every single sentence has come true! Yesterday, a friend told me that 20 years down the line, each of these vehicles will become classics! (thank you Rahul, Tussi Great Ho, I hope your words come true!). .

I am happy. Thanks for making this "WOW" moment for me a reality! Here's wishing everybody a "Very Happy New Year"!

Best regards,

Behram Dhabhar

[cpbopanna]

Originally Posted by DHABHAR.BEHRAM

Dear Abhimanyu88, Manveet Paaji and all - this WONDERFUL comment starts my new year on a new high! I just cannot forget the words of these comments below, which I used to try and hammer down into the ears and minds of just about everybody "who mattered", somehow, somewhere, hoping for a positive response, which finally saw light of day! The vehicle has succeeded on its own merit!

"Sir, it will turn heads wherever it goes!"
"Sir, the Merc and Beemer guys will acknowledge!"
"Sir, get out of it in the foyer of a 5 star hotel, you will get more attention than the guys in Mercs and Beemers!"
"Sir, the Merc and Beemer guys will buy"!
"Sir, we have the advantage of having the "timeless shape" with us. The 7 slat grille shape is forever and ever and ever and ever"!
"Sir, it must look like Jeep. Inside we can do whatever we want"!
"Sir, we must launch with AC only, it is going to be India's first soft top with a factory fitted AC. Sir, India is either hot or hotter"!
"Sir, 4WD lifestyle segment is becoming mainstream"! (today it has become mainstream)"!

Every single sentence has come true! Yesterday, a friend told me that 20 years down the line, each of these vehicles will become classics! (thank you Rahul, Tussi Great Ho, I hope your words come true!). .

I am happy. Thanks for making this "WOW" moment for me a reality! Here's wishing everybody a "Very Happy New Year"!

Best regards,

Behram Dhabhar

Thank you Mr. Dhabhar

I whole-heartedly agree with you and all my fellow mates that the Jeep invokes deep emotions, with a lump forming in the throat when Merc/Beemer/Audi owners stop to give the Jeep a second look.

I just attended a private function in Coorg where I parked my Jeep in a vantage point and I am glad to state that it was the cynosure of all eyes!

Wish you a very happy new year and BTW, thank you for spending those memorable moments with me in Pune last week!

[manveet]

Originally Posted by Abhimanyu88

I completely agree with Manveet Sir here, i dont get as many looks in an E class with an AMG kit, but I have been stopped many times when Ive been driving a Jeep, it is a true head turner.

Originally Posted by DHABHAR.BEHRAM

Dear Abhimanyu88, Manveet Paaji and all - this WONDERFUL comment starts my new year on a new high! I just cannot forget the words of these comments below, which I used to try and hammer down into the ears and minds of just about everybody "who mattered", somehow, somewhere, hoping for a positive response, which finally saw light of day! The vehicle has succeeded on its own merit!

"Sir, it will turn heads wherever it goes!"

Every single sentence has come true! Yesterday, a friend told me that 20 years down the line, each of these vehicles will become classics! (thank you Rahul, Tussi Great Ho, I hope your words come true!). .

Originally Posted by cpbopanna

Thank you Mr. Dhabhar

I whole-heartedly agree with you and all my fellow mates that the Jeep invokes deep emotions, with a lump forming in the throat when Merc/Beemer/Audi owners stop to give the Jeep a second look.

I just attended a private function in Coorg where I parked my Jeep in a vantage point and I am glad to state that it was the cynosure of all eyes!

Wish you a very happy new year and BTW, thank you for spending those memorable moments with me in Pune last week!

Extrapolating on similar lines, it is extremely painful for me when I am in my ML cruising along, and I sight a nice looking Thar. It is then that I so wish I was in my Jeep. It's an alpha male thing I guess.